Anyone who knows me knows that I walk around (almost perpetually) with a kettle corn-shaped hole in my soul. Indeed, it may in part be the quest to fill this void that has spurred my love for festivals. One of the first questions I ask is usually, “will there be kettle corn there??” Luckily for me, the answer is nearly always “yes.”

It is the ubiquitous nature of the sweet and salty treat that fuels my biggest confusion: why do so many fairs/festivals/vendors screw the pooch so badly when the time comes to decide where to stick the booth?

While many foods are best placed in the thick of the action, kettle corn isn’t one of them. Most “fair foods” are single serving goods that the patron eats right after purchase. Kettle corn, however, is a multi serving snack that is also extremely bulky and awkward to carry after purchase.

It is for this reason that I would like to encourage the kettle corn purveyors to consider moving their booths to the entrance/exit area of the festival/fair. This simple shift would almost certainly increase the sales of their product.

As much as I love kettle corn, if I know that I will have to tote my bags of golden goodness (yes multiple. Don’t judge me) around for the rest of my visit, as much as it pains me to do so, I may decide not to buy it at all. This scenario is almost too terrible to comprehend. Please don’t make me choose between buying kettle corn and staying to see the rest of the fair!

Sure, I can hear what you might be thinking: “why don’t you just go back for the kettle corn if you want it so badly?” Well, the first reason is that I’m probably pretty tired by that point. Secondly: I’m not the only person who faces this unfortunate hassle, so why should we all be inconvenienced? Thirdly: shut up.

One Ren Fest that gets it right is the St. Louis Renaissance Faire. Their kettle corn is right at the gate as I like to think God intends it to be. Others should follow suit.

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Sometimes a person just needs a little extra love from the world. In the past one would have to carry out actions desperate enough to capture the attention of the media or community to get this kind of support. However, we are lucky enough to live in the age of social media. The key to successfully garnering likes and comments from concerned friends and followers is mastering the art of the vague yet dramatic status.

The Prayer Request

The Prayer Request is effective because human beings are naturally curious. The act of requesting prayers ignites the imaginations of the incurably nosy among your friends. They will almost certainly respond in the hopes that you may change your mind and let your adoring public in on the hot scoop of your hot mess.

The Check-In

The Check-In is a fantastic weapon in the attention-seeker’s arsenal. In order for this tactic to work, however, you absolutely cannot give any clue as to the purpose of your visit. Ambiguity is key here. It doesn’t really matter WHY you’re there–the important thing is to foster your followers’ wildest fancies.

Moderation is of the utmost import, though. This cannot be stressed enough! If you overuse these techniques, the response will cease to be curiosity or pity and will become eye rolls and unfollows–this is in direct opposition to the desired outcome of these desperate acts. Use with discretion, however, and sit back and enjoy the outpouring of concern that will follow!

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Costumes at Ren Fests are almost a must. You see everything from queens, kings and highlanders to wenches, fairies and stormtroopers. Everyone likes dressing up and I am no different. I loved dressing up and pretending to be the fairy princess when I was little. Even my brother used to dress in one of our mother’s old bridesmaids dresses and say he was the Pope. I always thought that costuming was pretending to be a different person for a little while. Two years ago I realized that costumes were more than about pretending.

In May of 2013 I was diagnosed with Stage IV Primary Ovarian Large Diffused B-Cell Lymphoma. Sounds scary doesn’t it? Well it sorta was. This is a rare (0.5% of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphomas) and aggressive (Hello! Stage IV!) cancer that if not caught when it was I probably wouldn’t have lasted through the autumn of that year. On the plus side, it is a very treatable and survivable (90% survival rate) cancer. Surgery and six rounds of chemo and I’m cured. (I won’t be considered a survivor until after 5 years remission.) This was and still is a life changing experience that I’m still trying to digest.

Before starting chemo, I had to go through a “chemo class.” Basically someone sat down and talked about all the good and bad (mostly bad) things that would and could happen. At this time I was advised to go ahead and get my wig just in case my hair fell out. It’s more than just a vanity thing. Watching your hair fall out can have a bad psychological effect on patients. So I went to my best friend who is an instructor at a cosmetology school and we looked at wigs. I found the one that I would order if necessary. Well, being frugal and being the type of person I am I started thinking, “Why do I want a wig that I won’t wear again after my hair grows back in?” So I started looking online. This purple bob-cut wig called out to me. It was what I was looking for! This is who I am!

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Everyone loved that wig, even my boss! I don’t wear it as much since my hair has grown out, but thinking about it and my time being a baldy is somewhat of a revelation about costumes: We don’t dress up to be different; we dress up to show who we are.

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Marguerite de la Rocque was a French noblewoman who is well-known for surviving several years alone on a deserted island known as the Isle of Demons. Marguerite was marooned on the island by her cousin.

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Visit this site dedicated to providing information about Elizabethan Witchcraft and Witches.Fast and accurate details and facts about the history of Elizabethan Witchcraft and Witches.Learn the facts about Elizabethan Witchcraft and Witches.